Arguments and options for the dita command

The dita command takes mandatory arguments to process DITA content, manage plug-ins, or
print information about the command. Options can be used to modify the command behavior or specify additional
configuration parameters.

Usage

dita--input=file--format=name
[
options
]

dita--install
[ {
filename | URL
} ]

dita--uninstallid

dita--help

dita--version

Note: Most dita command options support several syntax alternatives. All options can be
specified with a GNU-style option keyword preceded by two hyphens. In many cases, Unix-style single-letter
options (preceded by a single hyphen) are also available for backwards compatibility.

Arguments

--input=file

-ifile

Specifies the master file for your documentation project. This argument corresponds
to the common parameter args.input. Typically this is a DITA map, however it also can
be a DITA topic if you want to transform a single DITA file. The path can be absolute, relative to
args.input.dir, or relative to the current directory if
args.input.dir is not defined.

--format=name

-fname

Specifies the output format (transformation type).

This argument corresponds to the common parameter transtype.

You can create plug-ins to add new output formats; by default, the following values are
available:

dita

eclipsehelp

html5

htmlhelp

markdown, markdown_gitbook, and
markdown_github

pdf

tocjs

troff

xhtml

--installfilename

--installURL

Install a single plug-in from a local ZIP file or from a URL.

--install

If no filename or URL argument is
provided, the installation process reloads the current set of plug-ins from the
plugins directory. This approach can be used to add or remove multiple plug-ins
at once, or any individual plug-ins you have already copied to (or removed from) the
plugins directory.

--uninstallid

Uninstall a plug-in with the specified ID.

Attention: The --uninstall option also
removes the corresponding subdirectory from the plugins folder.

--help

-h

Print command usage help.

--version

Print version information and exit.

Options

--output=dir

-odir

Specifies the path of the output directory; the path can be absolute or relative to
the current directory. This argument corresponds to the common parameter output.dir. By
default, the output is written to the out subdirectory of the current directory.

--filter=file

Specifies filter file(s) used to include, exclude, or flag content.

This argument corresponds to the common parameter args.filter. Relative paths are
resolved against the current directory and internally converted to absolute paths.

--temp=dir

-tdir

Specifies the location of the temporary directory.

This argument corresponds to the common parameter dita.temp.dir.

--verbose

-v

Verbose logging.

--debug

-d

Debug logging.

--logfile=file

-lfile

Write logging messages to a file.

--parameter=value

-Dparameter=value

Specify a value for a DITA-OT or Ant build parameter.

The GNU-style --parameter=value form is only available for
parameters that are configured in the plug-in configuration file; the Java-style -D
form can also be used to specify additional non-configured parameters or set system properties.

Parameters not implemented by the specified transformation type or referenced in a
.properties file are ignored.

Tip: If you are building in different environments where the location of the input
files is not consistent, set args.input.dir with the dita command and
reference its value with ${args.input.dir} in your .properties
file.

--propertyfile=file

Use build parameters defined in the referenced .properties file.

Build parameters specified on the command line override those set in the .properties
file.